Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR) is a medical condition in which acid that has backflowed from the stomach traverses into the esophagus and continues into the throat. Typically, this is due to a sphincter that is not functioning properly in blocking such backflow.
Both patient and physician are faced with numerous difficulties in attempting to diagnose LPR. Current diagnostic approaches, such as 24 hour pH testing are both intrusive and uncomfortable. This problem is compounded by the fact that the symptoms consistent with LPR are identical to those of various other upper respiratory conditions. As such, a physician is necessarily faced with the dilemma of whether or not to undertake such invasive measures as pH testing when in fact the source of the patient's symptoms may be attributed to a wide-ranging array of conditions. Moreover, it is difficult to monitor a patient over time using current techniques.